Guatemala’s Burning-of-the-Devil Puts Trump in the Fire as 2025’s “Evil”
GUATEMALA CITY — A dramatic turn on a centuries-old tradition: during the annual La Quema del Diablo festival held Dec. 7 in Guatemala City, a giant devil effigy carrying a likeness of U.S. President Donald Trump was set ablaze — a symbolic act meant to mark “the banishing of bad things” before Christmas.
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The burning of the Trump effigy appears to have been planned. Reuters documented local vendors selling devil-shaped pinatas depicting Trump ahead of the event — indicating the political figure was intentionally selected to represent harmful or negative energies this year.
The Burning of the Devil is an annual Guatemalan tradition tied to the eve of the feast of the Immaculate Conception, dating back to colonial times, when families would burn waste — like paper and dry branches — or light torches to symbolically purify their homes before the Christmas season.
In recent years, the event has occasionally taken on political or social undertones. For instance, in 2023 large devil piñatas shaped like controversial local figures were burned as public protest.
This year, the choice of Trump as the “devil” highlights how international cultural rituals can intersect with transnational political sentiment. It remains unclear who specifically proposed burning the U.S. president’s likeness — Reuters did not identify any organizers by name.
What happens next depends largely on public reaction. The spectacle may reignite debate over whether the tradition should be seen purely as cultural ritual or as a political statement. Observers and authorities alike may scrutinize whether such expressions risk inflaming diplomatic tensions or local social divisions — especially if political symbolism becomes a regular part of future burnings.